Pixar today announced that the previously-announced sequel to Finding Nemo will be called Finding Dory, and is set for release in November 2015. Yes, it’s Finding Nemo, but also another sequel, raising the question of whether Pixar is still Pixar, or whether they’re now just a name that Disney will slowly bleed the credibility out of for money. Mickey blows goats, I have proof.

Ellen DeGeneres, who provided the voice of Dory, an affable but forgetful blue tang fish, in the original film, said in a statement that she had been waiting a long time for the movie to be launched. “I’m not mad it took this long. I know the people at Pixar were busy creating ‘Toy Story 16.’ But the time they took was worth it. The script is fantastic. And it has everything I loved about the first one: It’s got a lot of heart, it’s really funny, and the best part is—it’s got a lot more Dory.”

Phew, I’m glad we’ve got a quote from the person who will do at least two days of work on the project.

The new film will be directed by Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton, who directed the original film. “Finding Nemo” which won the 2003 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

According to Stanton, the new movie is set along the California coastline about a year after the first film, and features such returning characters as Marlin and Nemo, as well as some new characters.

Only one of Pixar’s previous films, “Brave” (2012), has centered on a female protagonist. “Brave” won the Academy Award for Best Animated Film earlier this year. [WSJ]

Oh Jesus, thanks for bringing up the female protagonist thing again. Hey, can I just watch a movie without having to worry about my reaction being a litmus test for sexism? Thanks. Anyway, at the very least, Andrew Stanton gives me hope. Besides the original, he directed Wall E, which was amazing, and John Carter, which was a lot better than people said (it was silly and goofy and loud and big, pretty much exactly what it was supposed to be). And watching the original Finding Nemo was one of the all-time best marijuana experiences of my life. Probably less so for those kids I tried to pet on the way out, but hey, everyone needs an anti-drug.

“Does he ever stop yelling?”

Originally meant to be a straight-to-DVD excuse to let your TV babysit your children for two hours, Disney’s Planes was instead given an August 9 theatrical release date because producer John Lasseter needs another swimming pool. The animated spin-off of the wildly successful Cars franchise was also originally supposed to star Jon Cryer as the voice of the lead character, Dusty the Cropduster, but he dropped out, so Disney decided to go with someone who is even more relevant – Dane Cook.

Planes is about Dusty’s ambition to become a champion racer against all odds, as he has to overcome his fear of heights. A plane with a fear of heights? Now THAT I have to see! Especially if that plane is voiced by Frat House Weekly’s three-time Man of the Year.

Read the rest of this entry »

Wreck-It Ralph tells the story of a video game villain who finally grows tired of being the bad guy and wants to be popular. Even more, it tells the story of how brilliant Disney is to know that a generation of now-adults, who grew up playing 8- and 16-bit Nintendo games, would rush to theaters to pay $15 to celebrate classic characters from games like Q-Bert, Super Mario Brothers and Street Fighter, because we so eagerly pine for the good old days. Damn it, being an adult sucks.

Ralph hits theaters on November 2, so we can expect to see the promotional campaign ramped up over the next three weeks, and traffic on sites like VirtualNES shoot through the clouds that Mario can somehow walk on. This week, Disney released a new international trailer for Wreck-It Ralph, and just go ahead and take my damn money now, Mickey.

Read the rest of this entry »

My DC comic book knowledge is pretty limited, so please forgive my ignorance, but apparently the new animated Batman films, The Dark Knight Returns Pt. 1 and 2, are putting a new twist on the old storyline of Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson/Jason Todd/Tim Drake. That twist? Robin’s got some boobs now.

Returns is based on Frank Miller’s four-part series from 1986, which features the newest Robin as a 13-year old girl who helps a 55-year old Batman save Gotham from all the same-old-same-olds and you-know-who’s.

One of the most influential comics of all time, the Dark Knight Returns is set in a near future where Batman is retired and Gotham City has slid into a dystopian state ruled by a gang of hooligans called The Mutants. The 55-year old Bruce Wayne is forced to don the cape once more, this time partnering with a female Robin to not only stop the Joker but keep the peace when the city falls into chaos after being hit by an electromagnetic pulse. (Via the Hollywood Reporter, which also revealed some exclusive images)

As for the animated actors and roles, Batman is voiced by Peter “RoboCop” Weller and his new tween sidekick will be voiced by Modern Family’s Ariel Winter.

Read the rest of this entry »

Look, I get it. It’s Friday afternoon. You want to be entertained, but nothing too mentally taxing. Well, I’ve got just the video. It’s a 30-second animation about a British gentleman with a tiny chainsaw. Actually, 30 seconds is a bit misleading. I mean, that’s how long the video is, but I was laughing for way longer. If you don’t like this, we probably can’t be friends.

[via RatherGoodStuff, thanks to the world's tallest Jew for the tip]